Isotretinoin is a systemic therapy approved for acne and has historically required lab monitoring in addition to adherence to the iPLEDGE Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) given the medication's teratogenic effects. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the expansion of telemedicine, acceptance of remote pregnancy tests, and relaxation of lab monitoring practices. A retrospective review of 142 pediatric patients was conducted, and multivariate linear regression was performed to examine differences in prescribing patterns pre-COVID and during COVID. Backward elimination identified gender and the interaction between acne severity and number of systemic treatments tried before isotretinoin as significant factors associated with increased number of visits to isotretinoin initiation, with females requiring more visits before starting isotretinoin at every acne severity level and even after accounting for systemic treatments previously tried. While the changes catalyzed by the pandemic may have improved visit-related burdens for patients and caregivers, female patients with acne continue to be delayed in receiving isotretinoin even when adjusting for acne severity and systemic treatments trialed, underscoring persistent gender disparities in prescribing practices for isotretinoin.
Keywords: acne; gender; isotretinoin; pediatric dermatology; telemedicine.
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